In “The Conjuring 2, ” some of this is soft-pedaled and made to seem almost generic. That’s why the characterization of the Warrens winds up being just a little bit bland. Ed wields a keepsake crucifix that hangs on his necklace, but what the film implies, without ever quite coming out and saying it, is that the Warrens’ whole obsession with haunted houses is driven by their faith. And that’s part of what powers the currents of dread and release. On one level, “The Conjuring 2” is just a not-bad megaplex funhouse movie, no more and no less, but on another level it offers its potential fans a helping of reassurance to go along with the fear. If there are ghost demons out there, then God must be out there as well. Audiences, it was long ago proven, will pay to see both.
